[OS X TeX] Uninstall BasicTex

[Joe78]

[05/08/09] At 12:46PM PDT, Curiouslearn wrote: 
> 
> You pointed out that later I can just go and delete the BasicTex folder
> from  /usr/local/texlive if I wish. I followed your instructions just to see
> that I know where to find this folder and your instructions work very well.
> However, where is this folder located. Is this usr/locals hidden. That is, I
> can go there by entering the path as you have suggested. But can I click my
> way to it using the Finder.

First, make sure you are typing the path correctly. It is necessary to
put the first slash /  

  CMD-SHIFT-G
  /usr/local/texlive 

If for some reason this doesn't work, open up
/Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app  and type: 

  sudo mv /usr/local/texlive/<BASICTEX> ~/.Trash 

(replacing <BASICTEX> with whatever that is called, idk)

---------------------------------------
 
I'm not sure if this is the correct way to go about this by posting on
this list, but while we're on the subject, the information about
uninstalling on
<http://www.tug.org/mactex/uninstalling.html> seems a little confusing
to me as it bounces back and forth between saying that you have to do
some things in the terminal, and others using finder.  

For example, it warns that "a mistake could be fatal!" if the user
messes up in typing sudo rm -R 2008, which is kind of daunting to read
if you don't know what you're doing.
IMHO, it would be simpler, and maybe safer, to tell the user to 

  cd /usr/local/texlive
  ls
  sudo mv 200? ~/.Trash

which they can empty (the trash)  later using the Finder.  It would very
hard to mess up typing sudo rm -R 2008 but something could fall from the
sky and land on the / key before you get to the 2 and that would suck.

The page also states:
``Consequently it /must/ be removed using the command line.''
This is not true.  As Herbert said in another response to this post, one
can `cd' using Finder by hitting CMD-SHIFT-G or clicking Go->Go to
Folder in the menu bar, and then typing /usr/local/texlive in the popup.
The user can then drag the folder they are uninstalling to the trash,
and will be prompted for an administrator password.  Probably safer than
sudo, in that it only allows one superuser command instead of 3.

In fact, similar advice is given farther down the page.

Again, sorry if this is the wrong forum to type all of this, I didn't
see the `contact the webmaster' links at the bottom!  So I'll just throw
my (possibly worthless) 2 cents out there.